


The Mind of Sherlock Holmes

by writingrach76



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cheating, Dogs, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 12:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15267837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingrach76/pseuds/writingrach76
Summary: John's trying to surprise Sherlock, but Sherlock thinks that John's cheating on him and trys to confront him about it.





	The Mind of Sherlock Holmes

**Author's Note:**

> I'm honestly not one hundred percent sure how I feel about this one, but I figured I'd post it because I don't know what else I'd add to it.

It had taken Sherlock about a month to reach a conclusion that he had absolutely dreaded. Perhaps that was part of the issue, sentiment had tried to render him blind as long as it could, but no longer could he ignore the facts right in front of his face. John was tired of their relationship. John was potentially and most likely cheating on him. 

The information sat in its chair in their living room as John read the newspaper that morning. He had come home later than usual last night, Chinese takeaway in hand as if it wasn’t an hour later than usual for his regular shift at the surgery. (And it was a regular shift at the surgery, Sherlock had checked on the calendar that John had synced on both their phones so that Sherlock would always know where he was if John was not with him. Sherlock never entered his own appointments into the calendar. That was simply too much effort when he already had them stored in his head.) John had also come back unusually docile and pleased - often the way he behaved after sex due to the release of pleasurable endorphins due to mutual engagement in the act of pleasuring another and being pleasured in return. This was not the first night that it had happened, nor did he think it would be the last and as a result Sherlock couldn’t sleep. The conclusion was that on his way home from the surgery and before getting Chinese takeaway John was having some sort of affair. Sherlock had yet to conclude where or with whom John was engaging in coitus with, but he also wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Not when whoever it was was making John just as happy, if not happier than Sherlock could make John.

He hadn’t gone to bed last night until John had woken up, but then he’d laid down and been unable to let sleep take him. The deductions of John that he had concluded at some time around 3am kept bouncing through his head and he had no idea what to do about it. The best result was clearly a direct approach. He didn’t want it to end, but he conclusively realized that he could no longer live like this. It was becoming like Victor all over again, and while John was not going to introduce him to highly addictive illegal substances in order to keep him around for sex, the knowledge that he was no longer good enough for John may drive him back to them on his own. As much as he missed the drugs, that was no longer a path that he wished to go down. Lestrade would keep the cases from him then, and, without John, he was definitely going to need the cases.

Right. With that settled he got out of bed, and pulled his light blue dressing gown around his pajamas, rumpled from tossing and turning alone in bed. Better to do this now, get it over with like ripping a bandaid. He would flounce into the living room and demand to know what John was doing and with who and ask him to leave for good if he didn’t think that Sherlock was enough. He could do it. Off the end of the bed where he sat, to the door, wait, breathe, open the door and step into the living room.

“Well, good morning love. Finally decided to greet the living world?” John asked cheerfully from behind his newspaper where he sat facing Sherlock, yet still focused on the daily headlines, no doubt keeping an eye out for potential cases. Sherlock’s heart lurched and ached at John’s casual use of Sherlock’s most common pet name. John was cheating on him. Sherlock was not his love, not nearly in any sense and his chest ached, his stomach curdling small and cold into his abdomen. Tears pricked his eyes without his permission.

“John,” It was supposed to come out strong and fierce but he barely managed not to sob. As such it was still a whimper, so much so that the newspaper practically fell out of John’s hands so he could look tenderly at Sherlock. (Don’t let it affect him. Can’t. John is cheating on him. Can’t fall for that anymore.) 

“John. Why are you cheating on me?” Oh god his voice was wobbling and Sherlock had thought he could do this but John’s tenderly confused look was making this so much harder and then he was sobbing as he tried to get the rest of it out. “Am I not good enough anymore? Is the sex-are we not having enough of it?” He couldn’t even manage to get to the part where he told John to leave because he was crying too hard and he couldn’t see, but he felt John in front of him, pulling him into his arms and he stiffened, trying not to let John in too close.

“Oh, sweetheart. Breathe. Come on, deep breaths for me, love. I’m not cheating on you, I swear. I’m so sorry love. I should have realized that sneaking behind your back wasn’t a good idea but I wanted to surprise you. Just breathe for me, and when you’ve calmed down we can talk about it, yeah?” John wasn’t cheating on him? John was trying to surprise him? He struggled to get his breathing back to some semblance of normal and John held him until the tears stopped, and then guided him to the sofa.

“All better then? Right. So, I swear on my life, Sherlock, I am not cheating on you. Frankly, I think if I was Mycroft would have already kidnapped me and shipped me off to some unspeakable place. In fact, Mycroft’s been helping me with your surprise.”

“Mycroft!” He hiccuped, which lost some of the effect and John laughed.

“You don’t need to sound so appalled. Yes, love. Mycroft and I have been trying to surprise you. It’s not quite done though, can you wait a few more days or should I give it to you now?” He sniffed and tried to work through it, but none of it added up.

“I’m sorry, could I see it now please?” He waited, preparing himself for John to fumble, and reveal that the surprise was an excuse to cover up an affair. 

“Alright that’s fine, darling. Just let me call Mycroft.” John kissed his temple and got up for his phone. Sherlock listened as Mycroft picked up.

“Hi, yeah Mycroft? Could you send over Sherlock’s surprise? He’s gotten entirely the wrong idea and thinks I’m having an affair. Yeah it should be fine. Thanks,” John hung up his phone and resumed his place beside Sherlock on the sofa, one arm wrapped around his waist the other pulling Sherlock into his body.

“I love you. There is never going to be anyone else,” He murmured softly against Sherlock’s hair. They stayed quietly pressed together until the doorbell rang downstairs and John separated himself from Sherlock, who made a soft sound in protest. 

“I’ll be right back, sweetheart, I promise.” John hurried down the stairs and Sherlock couldn’t help but worry that John was going to appear in their living room with someone else and break it to Sherlock that he really was cheating on him, and he was ending the relationship. His stomach began to curl up again, but before he could get up and escape to his room John appeared half in their doorway, both hands behind his back.

“Sherlock, love, I have someone I’d like you to meet.” For an instant Sherlock felt a pang in his chest as his worst fear started to come true, only for John to enter the room without anyone following him. He sat, paralyzed as John came to the sofa, hands still behind his back.

“Close your eyes,” He ordered and Sherlock complied, even though he knew that he didn’t want to open his eyes to whatever it was. Something warm and fuzzy was placed in his hands and he frowned, opening his eyes to find a small red setter puppy in his lap. He stroked its head, staring at it in disbelief, and his hand bumped against a small box behind the puppy’s head. He frowned and gently turned it around to find a small jewelry box attached to the puppy’s collar. He stared at it and then looked at John whose face was unbearably soft.

“John,” He breathed. “Is this...” He couldn’t finish, couldn’t move, and John dropped to one knee gently moving Sherlock’s hands to open the box for him. Inside was a soft, gold ring. John cupped his face with one hand, making Sherlock look at him as the puppy squirmed between them.

“Sherlock, love, I am so so sorry that I worried you with this, that was not my intention at all. We’ve been dating for over a year now and I just knew, that after everything we’ve been through I wanted to do something wonderful for you. I also knew that this past year has made me happier than I have ever been and after knowing you for seven years and dating you for one, I also knew that there was no one else I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. After hearing you talk about Redbeard so often, I knew that this was the right way to do this. A new dog for a new, happy stage of our lives. That is, if you’ll have me. So Sherlock, this was not at all the speech I was going to have planned, but will you do the honor of marrying me?” Sherlock was crying for the second time that morning before John was even two sentences in, and John pulled Sherlock off the sofa and into his body, his own eyes wet as Sherlock nodded frantically, unable to find his voice. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos and comment if you enjoyed the story. :) If you want to, feel free to stop by my [ tumblr ](writing-scars.tumblr.com) to talk about Sherlock or even just to say hi.


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